Food items that shouldn’t be found in your refrigerator

May 30, 2025

Do you know that not all food items belong in the refrigerator? As much as refrigeration is important for storing many foods, in the case of other food items, it is not necessary, as proper storage of these foods is essential to maintaining their quality and flavour.

Contents

1. Vegetables 2. Bananas 3. Unpeeled and Whole Garlic 4. Nuts 5. Coffee 6. Whole Watermelon 7. Berries 8. Chocolate

In this article are food items that shouldn’t be found in your refrigerator.

1. Vegetables

Certain vegetables shouldn’t be found in your refrigerator because, while in the refrigerator, the ripening process stops, they rapidly deteriorate, and they lose their flavour and freshness.

Some of these vegetables that should not be refrigerated include avocados, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and potatoes.

2. Bananas

If you want to keep your unripe bananas fresh and avoid premature browning or ripening, then you should avoid placing them in the refrigerator.

You should store unripe bananas at room temperature, on the counter, to allow for proper ripening.

READ ALSO: 5 food items you should never put in the microwave

3. Unpeeled and Whole Garlic

Garlic is one of the food items that shouldn’t be found in your refrigerator. Similar to onion, bulbs of garlic lose their potency when stored in a colder climate which is typical of a refrigerator.

To keep your garlic fresh, avoid refrigerating the bulbs, as it can negatively affect their texture in addition to losing their potency.

You should instead keep them in a cool, dark, dry place.

4. Nuts

Your nuts should also not be preserved in the refrigerator.

To preserve their full flavour, nuts like cashews, groundnuts, and almonds should be stored in a sealed container at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator. This step helps ensure their flavour stays intact.

5. Coffee

Coffee is another food item that should not be in your refrigerator because coffee works as a deodoriser and absorbs moisture, odours and flavours from the air around it. Keeping it in the fridge leads to the loss of its flavour.

Your coffee beans and ground coffee shouldn’t go in the fridge, even in an airtight container.

Instead, keep it in an airtight container in a dark space such as your pantry, away from sunlight, heat, steam, and moisture.

6. Whole Watermelon

Your whole uncut watermelon has no business in your refrigerator.

If the goal is to preserve the freshness of your whole watermelon then you should leave it outside your fridge.

Note that your watermelon should only be placed in the fridge once it is sliced, as that is the only way to extend the shelf life.

7. Berries

For optimal freshness, berries should be stored at room temperature rather than in the fridge. This can help avoid moisture build-up that could damage them. It is also important to avoid washing berries until you’re ready to eat them.